ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 28, 2013 OR

¨

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM _____

TO ______

Commission file number:

001-31829

CARTER’S, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

13-3912933

(state or other jurisdiction of

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

incorporation or organization)

Phipps Tower

3438 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1800

Atlanta, Georgia 30326

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(678) 791-1000

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

_______________________________________________

SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT:

Title of each class

Name of each Exchange on which Registered

Carter's, Inc.'s common stock par value $0.01 per share

New York Stock Exchange

SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE ACT:

None

____________________________________________________

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes (X) No ( )

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ( ) No (X)

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes (X) No ( )

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes (X) No ( )

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. (X)

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes ( ) No (X)

The approximate aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of June 28, 2013 (the last business day of our most recently completed second quarter) was $4,294,975,763.

There were 53,649,056 shares of Carter's, Inc. common stock with a par value of $0.01 per share outstanding as of the close of business on February 21, 2014.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A relating to the Annual Meeting of shareholders of Carter's, Inc., to be held on May 14, 2014, will be incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K. Carter's, Inc. intends to file such proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after its fiscal year ended December 28, 2013.

Our market share data is based on information provided by The NPD Group, Inc. ("NPD"). Unless otherwise indicated, references to market share in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are expressed as a percentage of total children's retail sales for a segment of the market.As the Company defines it, the baby and young children's apparel market includes apparel and related products for ages zero to seven.

The NPD market share data presented is based on NPD's definition of the baby and playclothes categories, which are different from the Company's definitions of these categories. The data presented is based upon The NPD Group/Consumer Tracking Service for Children's Apparel in the United States ("U.S.")and represents the twelve month period ending December, 2013.

Unless the context indicates otherwise, in this filing on Form 10-K, “Carter's,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “its,” and “our” refers to Carter's, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

GENERAL

We are the largest branded marketer in the United States ("U.S.") of apparel exclusively for babies and young children. We

own two of the most highly recognized and most trusted brand names in the children's apparel industry, Carter's and OshKosh

B'gosh (or "OshKosh"). Established in 1865, our Carter's brand is recognized and trusted by consumers for high-quality apparel

for children sizes newborn to seven. Established in 1895, OshKosh is a well-known brand, trusted by consumers for apparel for children sizes newborn to 12, with a focus on playclothes for toddlers and young children. Given each brands' product category emphasis and brand aesthetic, we believe the brands provide a complementary product offering. We have extensive experience in the young children's apparel market and focus on delivering products that satisfy our consumers' needs. Our strategy is to market high-quality, essential core products at prices that deliver an attractive value proposition for consumers.

We believe each of our brands has its own unique positioning in the marketplace. In the $18.9 billion baby and young children's apparel market (ages zero to seven) in the U.S., our Carter's brand has the #1 position with a 13.6% market share and our OshKosh brand has a 2.5% market share. We offer multiple product categories, including baby, sleepwear, playclothes, and related accessories. Our multi-channel business model enables us to reach a broad range of consumers across various socio-economic groups, and geographic regions.

We distribute our products through multiple channels of distribution in the U.S. children's apparel market, which, as of December 28, 2013, includes approximately 17,000 wholesale locations (including national department stores, chain and specialty stores, and discount retailers), 657 Company-operated stores and through our websites. As of December 28, 2013, we operated 476 Carter's and 181 OshKosh outlet, brand, and specialty stores in the U.S. As of December 28, 2013, our products are sold via 102 Company-operated stores in Canada in addition to our international wholesale, licensing, and online channels.

The Company is a Delaware corporation. The Company and its predecessors have been doing business since 1865. The Company's principal executive offices are located at Phipps Tower, 3438 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1800, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, and our telephone number is (678) 791-1000.

OUR BRANDS, PRODUCTS, AND DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

CARTER'S BRANDS – U.S.

Under our Carter's brand, we design, source, and market a broad array of products, primarily for sizes newborn to seven. Our Carter's brand is sold in department stores, national chains, specialty stores, off-price sales channels, through our Carter's retail stores, and online at www.carters.com. Additionally, we sell our Child of Mine brands at Walmart and our Just One You and Precious Firsts brands at Target. In fiscal 2013, we sold over 313.0 million units of Carter's, Child of Mine, Just One You, and Precious Firsts products in the U.S., an increase of approximately 8.3% from fiscal 2012. Our strategy is to drive sales growth through our focus on essential, high-volume, core apparel products for babies and young children. Such products include bodysuits, pajamas, blanket sleepers, gowns, bibs, receiving blankets and playwear. Our top ten core baby and sleepwear products accounted for approximately 60% of our baby and sleepwear net sales in fiscal 2013 in the U.S. We believe our core apparel products are essential consumer staples and less dependent on changes in fashion trends.

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We have cross-functional product teams focused on the development of our Carter's baby, sleepwear, and playclothes products. These teams are skilled in identifying and developing high-volume, core products. Each team includes members from merchandising, design, sourcing, product development, forecasting, and supply chain logistics. These teams follow a disciplined approach to fabric usage, color rationalization, and productivity and are supported by a dedicated art department and state-of-the-art design systems. We also license our brand names to other companies to create a broad collection of lifestyle products, including bedding, hosiery, shoes, room décor, furniture, gear, and toys. The licensing team directs the use of our designs, art, and selling strategies to all licensees.

We believe this disciplined approach to core product design results in compelling product offerings to consumers, reduces our exposure to short-term fashion trends, and supports efficient operations. We conduct consumer research as part of our product development process and engage in product testing in our own stores.

CARTER'S BRAND POSITIONING – U.S.

Our strategy is to drive our brand image as the leader in baby and young children's apparel and to consistently provide high-quality products at a great value to consumers. We employ a disciplined merchandising strategy that identifies and focuses on core products. We believe that we have strengthened our brand image with the consumer by differentiating our core products through fabric improvements, new artistic applications, and new packaging and presentation strategies. We also attempt to differentiate our products through store-in-store fixturing, branding and signage packages, and advertising. We have invested in display fixtures for our major wholesale customers that more clearly present our core products on their floors to enhance brand and product presentation. We also strive to provide our wholesale customers with a consistent, high-level of service, including delivering and replenishing products on time to fulfill customer needs. Our retail stores and websites focus on the customer experience through store and website design, visual enhancements, clear product presentation, and experienced customer service.

Our Carter's brand is the leading brand in the baby category in the U.S. In fiscal 2013, in the department stores, national chains, outlet, specialty stores, and off-price sales channels, our aggregate Carter's brand market share in the U.S. was approximately 24.5% for baby ages zero to two, which represents more than four times the market share of the next largest brand. We sell a complete range of baby products for newborns, primarily made of cotton. We attribute our leading market position to our brand strength, distinctive print designs, artistic applications, reputation for quality, and ability to manage our dedicated floor space for our wholesale customers. We tier our products through marketing programs targeted toward gift-givers, experienced mothers, and first-time mothers. Our Carter's Little Layette product line, the largest component of our baby business, provides parents with essential core products and accessories, including value-focused multi-packs. Our Little Collections product line consists of coordinated baby programs designed for first-time mothers and gift-givers.

Playclothes

Carter's brand playclothes products include knit and woven cotton apparel for everyday use in sizes three months to seven. In fiscal 2013, we generated $646.7 million in net sales of these products in the U.S., or 24.5%, of our consolidated net sales. We continue to focus on building our Carter's brand in theplayclothes market by developing a base of essential, high-volume products that utilize original print designs and innovative artistic applications. Our aggregate 2013 Carter's brand playclothes market share in the U.S. was approximately 11.9% in the $13 billion department store, national chain, outlet, specialty store, and off-price sales channels, which represents nearly 1.5 times the market share of the next largest brand.

Sleepwear

Carter's brand sleepwear products include pajamas and blanket sleepers in sizes 12 months to seven. In fiscal 2013, we generated $320.6 million in net sales of these products in the U.S., or 12.1%, of our consolidated net sales. Our Carter's brand

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is the leading brand of sleepwear for babies and young children within the department store, national chain, outlet, specialty store, and off-price sales channels in the U.S. In fiscal 2013, in these channels, our Carter's brand market share was approximately 32.3%, which represents more than seven times the market share of the next largest brand. As in our baby product line, we differentiate our sleepwear products by offering high-volume, high-quality core products with distinctive print designs and artistic applications.

Other Products

Our other product offerings include bedding, outerwear, swimwear, shoes, socks, diaper bags, gift sets, toys, and hair accessories. In fiscal 2013, we generated $135.5 million in net sales of these other products in our Carter'sretail stores and online, or 5.1%, of our consolidated net sales.

Royalty Income

We currently extend our Carter's, Child of Mine, Just One You, and Precious Firsts product offerings by licensing these brands to 17 licensees in the U.S. These licensing partners develop and sell products through our multiple sales channels, while leveraging our brand strength, customer relationships, and designs. Licensed products provide our customers and consumers with a range of lifestyle products that complement and expand upon our baby and young children's apparel offerings. Our license agreements require strict adherence to our quality and compliance standards and provide for a multi-step product approval process. We work in conjunction with our licensing partners in the development of their products to ensure that they fit within our brand vision of high-quality, core products at attractive values to the consumer. In addition, we work closely with our wholesale customers and our licensees to gain dedicated floor space for licensed product categories. In fiscal 2013, our Carter's brand generated $21.5 million in domestic royalty income.

OSHKOSH BRANDS – U.S.

Under our OshKosh brand, we design, source, and market a broad array of young children's apparel, primarily for children in sizes newborn to 12. Our OshKosh brand is currently sold in our OshKosh retail stores, department stores, national chains, specialty stores, through off-price sales channels, and online at www.oshkoshbgosh.com and www.oshkosh.com. In fiscal 2013, we sold approximately 44.0 million units of OshKosh products in the U.S. through our retail stores, to our wholesale customers, and online, a decrease of approximately 4.1% from fiscal 2012. We also have a licensing agreement with Target through which Target sells products under our Genuine Kids from OshKosh brand. Given its long history of durability, quality, and style, we believe our OshKosh brand represents a significant long-term growth opportunity for us, especially in the $13 billion young children's playclothes market in the U.S. We continue to focus on our core product development and marketing disciplines, improving the productivity of our existing OshKosh retail stores, developing new retail formats, investing in new employees and talent development, leveraging our relationships with major wholesale accounts, and leveraging our infrastructure and supply chain.

Our OshKosh brand is best known for its playclothes products. OshKosh brand playclothes products include denim apparel products with multiple wash treatments and coordinating garments, overalls, woven bottoms, knit tops, bodysuits, and playclothes products for everyday use in sizes newborn to 12. In fiscal 2013, we generated $306.1 million in net sales of OshKosh brand playclothes products in the U.S., which accounted for approximately 11.6% of our consolidated net sales. Our aggregate 2013 OshKosh brand playclothes market share in the U.S. was approximately 2.7% in the $13 billion department store, national chain, outlet, specialty store, and off-price sales channels.

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We believe our OshKosh brand represents a significant opportunity for us to increase our share in the playclothes category as the $13 billion young children's playclothes market in the U.S. is highly fragmented. For fiscal 2013, this market was nearly five times the size of the baby and sleepwear markets combined. We plan to grow this business by strengthening our product offerings, improving product value, reducing product complexity, and leveraging our strong customer relationships and global supply chain expertise.

Other Products

The remainder of our OshKosh brand product offerings include baby, sleepwear, outerwear, shoes, hosiery, and accessories. In fiscal 2013, we generated $57.8 million in net sales of these other products in our OshKosh retail stores and online, which accounted for 2.2% of our consolidated net sales.

Royalty Income

We partner with a number of domestic licensees to extend the reach of our OshKosh brand. We currently have six domestic licensees selling apparel and accessories. Our largest licensing agreement is with Target Corporation. All Genuine Kids from OshKosh products sold by Target are sold pursuant to this licensing agreement. Our licensed products provide our customers and consumers with a range of OshKosh products including outerwear, underwear, swimwear, socks, shoes, and accessories. In fiscal 2013,we earned approximately $10.3 million in domestic royalty income from our OshKosh brands.

INTERNATIONAL

Our international segment includes Company-operated retail, wholesale, and online operations in addition to royalty income from our international licensees. In fiscal 2013, our international sales were $285.3 million, or 10.8% of consolidated net sales. As of December 28, 2013, we operated 102 retail stores in Canada. Additionally, we reach consumers in approximately 60 countries through wholesale and licensing relationships and in over 100 countries through our website.

We partner with approximately 20 licensees to sell the Carter's and OshKosh brands internationally in approximately 40 countries. In fiscal 2013, our OshKosh international licensees generated retail sales of approximately $70.0 million, on which we earned approximately $4.3 million in royalty income. In fiscal 2013, our international licensees generated Carter's brand retail sales of $20.3 million on which we earned $1.2 million in royalty income.

Our OshKosh brand wholesale customers include major retailers, such as, in alphabetical order, Belk, Bon-Ton, Costco, Fred Meyer, JCPenney, Kohl's, and Sears. We continue to work with our customers to establish seasonal plans. The majority of our OshKosh brand playclothes products will be planned and ordered seasonally.

We have begun to offer "side by side" locations where stores for our Carter's and OshKosh brands are connected, allowing customers to shop for both brands. As of December 28, 2013, we operated a total of 24 "side by side" locations.

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As of December 28, 2013, we operated 476 Carter's retail stores in the U.S., of which 291 were brand stores and 185 were outlet stores. These stores carry a complete assortment of baby and young children's apparel, accessories, and gift items. Our stores average approximately 4,400 square feet per location and are distinguished by an easy, consumer-friendly shopping environment. Our brand stores are generally located in high-traffic, strip centers located in or near major cities. We believe our brand strength and our assortment of core products have made our stores a destination location within many outlet and strip centers. Our outlet stores are generally located within 20 to 30 minutes of densely-populated areas.

As of December 28, 2013, we operated 181 OshKosh retail stores in the U.S., of which 150 were outlet stores and 31 were brand and specialty stores. These stores carry a wide assortment of young children's apparel, accessories, and gift items and average approximately 4,400 square feet per location.

As of December 28, 2013, we operated 102 retail stores in Canada. These stores average approximately 5,500 square feet per location, slightly larger than our U.S. based stores, and offer a similar product assortment, localized for climate differences.

In the first quarter of 2013, we assumed control of retail operations in Japan, previously managed by a licensee. In fiscal 2013, our retail operations in Japan generated sales of approximately $15.9 million and an operating loss of $11.3 million, which includes exit costs of approximately $4.1 million. In the fourth quarter of 2013, we decided to exit those operations based on revised forecasts which do not meet our investment objectives.

We have recently invested in a one million square foot multi-channel distribution center in Braselton, Georgia. All of our eCommerce business demand for the U.S. and portions of our retail store and wholesale demand are fulfilled at the Braselton facility.

Store Expansion

We use a real estate selection process whereby we fully assess all new locations based on demographic factors, retail adjacencies, and population density.

Marketing

Our strategy is to strengthen our online and direct marketing with a focus on increasing the convenience of shopping by driving higher spend and more transactions per customer, increasing purchase frequency, and increasing return on our marketing investment.

GLOBAL SOURCING NETWORK

We source products internationally, primarily from Asia. One sourcing agent currently manages approximately 70% of our inventory purchases. Our sourcing network consists of over 100 vendors located in 14 countries. We believe that our sourcing arrangements are sufficient to meet our current operating requirements and provide capacity for growth.

In fiscal 2012, we established new sourcing operations in Hong Kong. Our goal is to shift the mix of our direct sourcing from approximately 30% in fiscal 2013 to 50% by 2017 in an effort to improve the performance of our supply chain.

COMPETITION

The baby and young children's apparel market is highly competitive. Competition is generally based upon product quality, brand name recognition, price, selection, service, and convenience. Both branded and private label manufacturers compete in the baby and young children's apparel market. Our primary competitors in the wholesale channel include private label product offerings, and, in alphabetical order, Disney and Gerber. Our primary competitors in the retail store channel include, in alphabetical order, Disney, Gap, Gymboree, Old Navy, and The Children's Place. Most retailers, including our wholesale customers, have significant private label product offerings that compete with our products. Because of the highly-fragmented nature of the industry, we also compete with many small manufacturers and retailers. We believe that the strength of our Carter's, OshKosh, and related brand names combined with our breadth of product offerings and operational expertise position us well against these competitors.

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TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHTS

We own many trademarks and copyrights, including Carter's®, OshKosh®, OshKosh B'gosh®, Genuine Kids®, Child of Mine®, Just One You®, Precious Firsts™, Little Collections®, and Little Layette®, many of which are registered in the U.S. and in more than 140 countries and territories.

EMPLOYEES

As of December 28, 2013, we had 11,222 employees, 3,847 of whom were employed on a full-time basis and 7,375 of whom were employed on a part-time basis. We have no unionized employees. We have had no labor-related work stoppages and believe that our labor relations are good.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

Our Internet address is www.carters.com. We are not including the information contained on our website as part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. On our website, we make available, free of charge, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, director and officer reports on Forms 3, 4, and 5, and any amendments to these reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Our SEC reports can be accessed through the investor relations section of our website. The information found on our website is not part of this or any other report we file with or furnish to the SEC. We also make available on our website, the Carter's Code of Ethics, our Corporate Governance Principles, and the charters for the Compensation, Audit, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees of the Board of Directors. Our SEC filings are also available for reading and copying at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site, www.sec.gov, containing reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

You should carefully consider each of the following risk factors as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC in evaluating our business. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial may also impact our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our operating results may be affected.

Risks Relating to Our Business

The loss of one or more of our major customers could result in a material loss of revenues; financial difficulties for our major customers could have a significant impact on us.

We derived approximately 25% of our consolidated net sales from our top five customers for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2013. We do not enter into long-term sales contracts with our major customers, relying instead on product performance, long-standing relationships, and on our position in the marketplace. As a result, we face the risk that one or more of these or other customers may significantly decrease their business with us or terminate their relationship with us as a result of competitive forces, financial difficulties or other reasons, which could result in significant levels of excess inventory, a material decrease in our sales, or material impact on our operating results. Further, a large percentage of our gross accounts receivables are typically from our largest wholesale customers. For example, approximately 75% of our gross accounts receivable at December 28, 2013 were from our ten largest wholesale customers, with four of these customers having individual receivable balances in excess of 10% of gross accounts receivable. Our reserves for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make payments may prove not to be sufficient if any of our major wholesale customers were unable to meet outstanding obligations to us or if their financial condition or credit position were to deteriorate, which could materially adversely affect our operating results.

The acceptance of our products in the marketplace is affected by consumers’ tastes and preferences, along with fashion trends.

We believe that continued success depends on our ability to provide a compelling value proposition for our consumers in the Company's distribution channels. There can be no assurance that the demand for our products will not decline, or that we will be able to successfully and timely evaluate and adapt our products to changes in consumers' tastes and preferences or fashion trends. If consumers' tastes and preferences are not aligned with our product offerings, demand for our products may decline, promotional pricing may be required to move seasonal merchandise, and our gross margins and results of operations could be adversely affected.

The value of our brand, and our sales, could be diminished if we are associated with negative publicity, including due to actions by our vendors, independent manufacturers and licensees, over whom we have limited control.

Although we maintain policies with our vendors, independent manufacturers and licensees that promote ethical business practices and our employees, agents, and third-party compliance auditors periodically visit and monitor the operations of our vendors, independent manufacturers, and licensees, we do not control these vendors, independent manufacturers, licensees, or their labor practices. A violation of our vendor policies, licensee agreements, labor laws, or other laws by these vendors, independent manufacturers, or licensees could damage our brand image. As a result, negative publicity regarding our Company, brands or products, including licensed products, could adversely affect our reputation and sales. Further, while the Company takes steps to ensure the reputation of its brand is maintained through its license agreements, there can be no guarantee that the Company's brand image will not be negatively impacted through its association with products or actions of licensees. In addition, we are subject to certain rules as a public company, such as the conflict minerals rules promulgated under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, that require disclosure of certain activities notwithstanding their compliance with the substantive provisions of applicable law. If we are required to make such disclosures, it is possible that our reputation could be harmed.

We currently rely on a combination of trademark, unfair competition, and copyright laws, as well as licensing arrangements, to establish and protect our intellectual property rights. The steps taken by us or by our licensees to protect our proprietary rights

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may not be adequate to prevent infringement of our trademarks or proprietary rights by others. In addition, intellectual property protection may be unavailable or limited in some foreign countries where laws or law enforcement practices may not protect our proprietary rights and where third parties may have rights to conflicting marks, and it may be more difficult for us to successfully challenge the use of our proprietary rights by other parties in those countries. If we fail to protect and maintain our intellectual property rights, the value of our brand could be diminished and our competitive position may suffer. Further, third parties may assert intellectual property claims against us, particularly as we expand our business geographically, and any such claim could be expensive and time consuming to defend, regardless of its merit. Successful infringement claims against us could result in significant monetary liability or prevent us from selling some of our products, which could have an adverse effect on our results.

We may incur substantial costs as a result of investigations or other proceedings related to previously disclosed investigations.

As previously reported, beginning in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009, the SEC and the United States Attorney's Office began conducting investigations, with which the Company cooperated, related to customer margin support provided by the Company, including undisclosed margin support commitments and related matters. In December 2010, the Company and the SEC entered into a non-prosecution agreement pursuant to which the SEC agreed not to charge the Company with any violations of the federal securities laws, commence any enforcement action against the Company, or require the Company to pay any financial penalties in connection with the SEC's investigation of customer margin support provided by the Company, conditioned upon the Company's continued cooperation with the SEC's investigation and with any related proceedings. The Company has incurred and may continue to incur substantial expenses for legal services due to the SEC and United States Attorney's Office investigations and any related proceedings. These matters may continue to divert management's time and attention away from operations. The Company also expects to bear additional costs pursuant to its advancement and indemnification obligations to directors and officers under our organizational documents in connection with proceedings related to these matters. Our insurance may not provide coverage to offset such costs.

The Company's and its vendors' databases containing personal information of our retail store and eCommerce customers could be breached, which could subject us to adverse publicity, litigation, and expenses. In addition, if we are unable to comply with security standards created by the banks and payment card industry, our operations could be adversely affected.

We rely on the security of our networks, databases, systems and processes and, in certain circumstances, those of third parties, such as vendors, to protect our proprietary information and information about our customers. If unauthorized parties gain access to these networks or databases, they may be able to steal, publish, delete, or modify our private and sensitive third-party information. In addition, employees may intentionally or inadvertently cause data or security breaches that result in unauthorized release of personal or confidential information. In such circumstances, we could be held liable to our customers or other parties or be subject to regulatory or other actions for breaching privacy law or failing to adequately protect such information. This could result in costly investigations and litigation, civil or criminal penalties, operational changes, and negative publicity that could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and reputation. Further, if we are unable to comply with the security standards, established by banks and payment card industry, we may be subject to fines, restrictions, and expulsion from card acceptance programs, which could adversely affect our retail operations.

Increases in production costs and deflationary pressures on our selling prices may adversely affect our results.

The Company's product costs are subject to fluctuations in costs such as manufacturing, cotton, labor, fuel, and transportation. In recent years, we have experienced increased costs of cotton, labor, fuel, and transportation, and have also had higher costs for foreign sourced products as a result of the devaluation of the U.S. dollar relative to certain foreign currencies. We anticipate increased product costs in 2014 due to higher labor costs for our foreign manufacturers. While we raised our selling prices on many of our products over the past two years, we have been unable to fully absorb the cost increases and our profitability has been adversely impacted. In recent years, the Company experienced deflationary pressure on its selling prices, in part driven by intense price competition in the young children's apparel industry. If future product cost increases are more than anticipated, or if we are unable to offset such cost increases through selling price increases or otherwise, our profitability could be adversely affected. Future deflationary pressures on our selling prices could also adversely affect our profitability.

Our business is sensitive to overall levels of consumer spending, particularly in the young children's apparel segment.

Consumers' demand for young children's apparel, specifically brand name apparel products, is impacted by the overall level of consumer spending. Discretionary consumer spending is impacted by employment levels, weather, gasoline and utility costs,

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business conditions, availability of consumer credit, tax rates, interest rates, levels of consumer indebtedness, and overall levels of consumer confidence. Recent and further reductions, or lower-than-expected growth, in the level of discretionary spending may have a material adverse effect on the Company's sales and results of operations.

We source substantially all of our products through foreign production arrangements. Our dependence on foreign supply sources could result in disruptions to our operations in the event of political instability, unfavorable economic conditions, international events, or new foreign regulations, and such disruptions may increase our cost of goods sold and decrease gross profit.

We source substantially all of our products through a network of vendors primarily in Asia, principally, coordinated by our sourcing agents and directly through our Hong Kong sourcing office. The following could disrupt our foreign supply chain, increase our cost of goods sold, decrease our gross profit, or impact our ability to get products to our customers:

•

financial instability of one or more of our major vendors;

•

political instability or other international events resulting in the disruption of trade in foreign countries from which we source our products;

•

interruptions in the supply of raw materials, including cotton, fabric, and trim items;

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increases in the cost of labor in our sourcing locations;

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the imposition of new regulations relating to imports, duties, taxes, and other charges on imports;

•

the occurrence of a natural disaster, unusual weather conditions, or an epidemic in foreign countries from which we source our products;

•

changes in the United States customs procedures concerning the importation of apparel products;

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unforeseen delays in customs clearance of any goods;

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disruptions in the global transportation network such as a port strike, capacity withholding, world trade restrictions, or war;

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the application of foreign intellectual property laws;

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the ability of our vendors to secure sufficient credit to finance the manufacturing process including the acquisition of raw materials;

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potential social compliance concerns resulting from our use of international vendors, independent manufacturers and licensees, over whom we have limited control;

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compliance with disclosure rules regarding the identification and reporting on the use of “conflict minerals” sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in our products;

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exchange rate fluctuations between the Company's and/or its subsidiaries' functional currency and the currencies paid to foreign contractors; and

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other events beyond our control that could interrupt our supply chain and delay receipt of our products into the United States.

We currently source most of our products through a single port. Labor disruptions at that port or otherwise along our supply chain may adversely affect our relationships with customers, reputation with consumers, and results of operations.

Our business depends on our ability to source and distribute products in a timely manner. Labor disputes at independent factories where our goods are produced, the shipping port we use, or our transportation carriers create significant risks for our business, particularly if these disputes result in work slowdowns, lockouts, strikes, or other disruptions during our peak

9

manufacturing and importing times. The existing contract between the port through which we source most of our products and International Longshore and Warehouse Union is scheduled to expire on July 1, 2014. This may result in slow-downs, disruptions, or a strike if a new agreement is not reached by such date, or even before that date. While we have contingency plans in place, in the event that slow-downs, disruptions or a strike occurs in connection with such contract expiration or otherwise, it may have a material adverse effect on our relationships with our customers and our business, potentially resulting in canceled orders by customers, unanticipated inventory accumulation, and reduced revenues and earnings.

We source substantially all of our products through a network of vendors. We have limited control over these vendors and we may experience delays, product recalls, or loss of revenues if our products do not meet our quality standards.

Our vendors may not continue to provide products that are consistent with our standards. We have occasionally received, and may in the future continue to receive, shipments of product that fail to conform to our quality control standards. A failure in our quality control program may result in diminished product quality, which may result in increased order cancellations and returns, decreased consumer demand for our products, or product recalls, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Because we do not control our vendors, products that fail to meet our standards, or other unauthorized products, could end up in the marketplace without our knowledge. This could materially harm our brand and our reputation in the marketplace.

We may experience delays, product recalls, or loss of revenues if our products do not meet regulatory requirements.

Our products are subject to regulation of and regulatory standards set by various governmental authorities around the world, including the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, with respect to quality and safety. These regulations and standards may change from time to time. Our inability, or that of our vendors, to comply on a timely basis with regulatory requirements could result in significant fines or penalties, which could adversely affect our reputation and sales. Issues with the compliance of merchandise we sell with these regulations and standards, regardless of our culpability, or customer concerns about such issues, could result in damage to our reputation, lost sales, uninsured product liability claims or losses, merchandise recalls, and increased costs.

Currently, one sourcing agent manages approximately 70% of our inventory purchases. Although we believe that other buying agents could be retained, or we could procure some of the inventory directly, the loss of this buying agent could delay our ability to timely receive inventory supply and disrupt our business, which could result in a material adverse effect on our operating results. In addition, we have recently increased the amount of our inventory that we source directly and plan to continue to further increase such amounts. We have limited experience in directly sourcing inventory purchases from foreign vendors and we may experience difficulty in the transition, which could disrupt our business, increase our costs, and have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

We operate in a highly competitive market and the size and resources of some of our competitors may allow them to compete more effectively than we can, resulting in a loss of market share and, as a result, a decrease in revenue and gross profit.

The baby and young children's apparel market is highly competitive. Both branded and private label manufacturers compete in the baby and young children's apparel market. Our primary competitors in our wholesale businesses include private label product offerings and Disney and Gerber. Our primary competitors in the retail store channel include, in alphabetical order, Disney, Gap, Gymboree, Old Navy, and The Children's Place. Because of the fragmented nature of the industry, we also compete with many other manufacturers and retailers. Some of our competitors have greater financial resources and larger customer bases than we have. As a result, these competitors may be able to:

•

adapt to changes in customer requirements more quickly;

•

take advantage of acquisition and other opportunities more readily;

•

devote greater resources to the marketing and sale of their products; and

•

adopt more aggressive pricing strategies than we can.

10

The Company's retail success and future growth is dependent upon identifying locations and negotiating appropriate lease terms for retail stores.

The Company's retail stores are located in leased retail locations across the United States and Canada. Successful operation of a retail store depends, in part, on the overall ability of the retail location to attract a consumer base sufficient to make store sales volume profitable. If the Company is unable to identify new retail locations with consumer traffic sufficient to support a profitable sales level, retail growth may be limited. Further, if existing stores do not maintain a sufficient customer base that provides a reasonable sales volume or the Company is unable to negotiate appropriate lease terms for the retail stores, there could be a material adverse impact on the Company's sales, gross margin, and results of operations.

Profitability and our reputation and relationships could be negatively impacted if we do not adequately forecast the demand for our products and, as a result, create significant levels of excess inventory or insufficient levels of inventory.

If the Company does not adequately forecast demand for its products and purchases inventory to support an inaccurate forecast, the Company could experience increased costs and lower selling prices due to the need to dispose of excess inventory. In addition, if we forecast demand for our products that is lower than actual demand, we may experience insufficient levels of inventory, which could result in damage to our relationships with customers and our reputation with consumers.

We may not achieve sales growth plans, cost savings, and other assumptions that support the carrying value of our intangible assets.

As of December 28, 2013, the Company had goodwill of $136.6 million for Carter'sand goodwill of $49.5 million for Bonnie Togs, and tradename assets of $220.2 million for the Carter's brand, and $85.5 million for the OshKosh brand on its consolidated balance sheet. The carrying value of these assets is subject to annual impairment reviews as of the last day of each fiscal year or more frequently, if deemed necessary, due to any significant events or changes in circumstances. Estimated future cash flows used in these impairment reviews could be negatively impacted if we do not achieve our sales plans, planned cost savings, and other assumptions that support the carrying value of these intangible assets, which could result in impairment of the remaining asset values. Any impairment would adversely affect our results of operations.

We have substantial debt, which could adversely affect our financial health and our ability to obtain financing

in the future and to react to changes in our business.

As of December 28, 2013, we had approximately $586 million aggregate principal amount of debt outstanding (excluding approximately $9.5 million of outstanding letters of credit), and approximately $179.5 million of undrawn availability under our senior secured revolving credit facility after giving effect to $9.5 million of letters of credit issued under our senior secured revolving credit facility.

Our substantial debt could have important consequences. Because of our substantial debt:

•

our ability to satisfy our obligations with respect to our debt, including the notes, may be adversely affected;

•

we may be more vulnerable to adverse economic and general industry conditions, including interest rate fluctuations, because a portion of The William Carter Company's ("TWCC") borrowings are at variable rates of interest;

•

we may be unable to make strategic acquisitions or be required to make non-strategic divestitures;

•

our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements or general corporate or other purposes may be limited;

•

a significant portion of our cash flow from operations must be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our debt, thereby reducing our ability to use that cash flow to fund our operations, capital expenditures, and future business opportunities;

•

it may be more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations to our creditors, resulting in possible defaults on and acceleration of such debt;

11

•

we may be at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors who have less debt or comparable debt at more favorable interest rates and who, as a result, may be better positioned to withstand economic downturns or to finance capital expenditures or acquisitions;

•

our costs of borrowing may increase;

•

we may be unable to refinance our debt on terms as favorable as our existing debt or at all; and

•

our flexibility to adjust to changing market conditions and our ability to withstand competitive pressures could be limited, or we may be prevented from carrying out capital spending that is necessary or important to our growth strategy and efforts to improve the operating margins of our businesses.

We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful.

Our ability to make scheduled payments on or to refinance our debt obligations depends on our financial condition and operating performance, which are subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business, legislative, regulatory and other factors beyond our control. We may be unable to maintain a level of cash flows from operating activities sufficient to permit us to fund our day-to-day operations or to pay the principal, premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness.

If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations and other cash requirements, we could be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures or to sell assets or operations, seek additional capital, or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. We may not be able to effect any such alternative measures, if necessary, on commercially reasonable terms or at all and, even if successful, such alternative actions may not allow us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. In the absence of such operating results and resources, we could face substantial liquidity problems and might be required to dispose of material assets or operations to meet our debt service and other obligations. Our secured revolving credit facility and the indenture governing the senior notes restrict our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to dispose of assets and use the proceeds from any such dispositions and also restrict our and our restricted subsidiaries’ ability to raise debt or equity capital to be used to repay other indebtedness when it becomes due. We may not be able to consummate those dispositions or to obtain proceeds in an amount sufficient to meet any debt service obligations then due.

Our inability to generate sufficient cash flows to satisfy our debt obligations, or to refinance our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all, would materially and adversely affect our financial position and results of operations and our ability to satisfy our obligations.

If we cannot make scheduled payments on our debt, we will be in default and, as a result, holders of the secured revolving credit facility could terminate their commitments to loan money and accelerate the maturity of borrowings thereunder, our secured lenders could foreclose against the assets securing such borrowings and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.

The terms of our secured revolving credit facility and the indenture governing the senior notes contain restrictions and limitations that could significantly impact our management’s flexibility or our financial and operational flexibility to operate our business.

sell or otherwise dispose of assets, including capital stock of subsidiaries;

•

consolidate or merge with or into, or sell substantially all of TWCC’s assets to, another person;

•

designate subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries;

•

enter into sale and leaseback transactions;

•

enter into transactions with affiliates; and

•

enter into new lines of business.

In addition, our secured revolving credit facility requires us to maintain specified financial ratios and satisfy other financial condition tests. Our ability to meet those financial ratios and tests can be affected by events beyond our control, and we cannot assure you that it will meet them.

The indenture governing the senior notes contains certain restrictive covenants that, among other things, restrict us and certain of our subsidiaries’ ability to:

•

incur, assume or guarantee additional indebtedness;

•

pay dividends or make distributions or other restricted payments;

•

make loans and investments (including joint ventures);

•

incur liens;

•

sell or otherwise dispose of assets, including capital stock of subsidiaries;

•

create restrictions on the payment of dividends or other amounts to TWCC or TWCC's subsidiaries that are guarantors of the senior notes from certain subsidiaries that are not guarantors of the senior notes;

•

consolidate or merge with or into, or sell substantially all of TWCC’s assets to, another person;

•

designate subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries; and

•

enter into transactions with affiliates.

The restrictions in the indenture that govern the senior notes or under our secured revolving credit facilities may limit our ability to engage in acts that may be in our long-term best interests, and may make it difficult for us to execute our business strategy successfully or effectively compete with companies that are not similarly restricted. We may also incur future debt obligations that might subject us to additional restrictive covenants that could affect our financial and operational flexibility.

A breach of the covenants under the indenture that governs the senior notes or under the secured revolving credit facility could result in an event of default under the applicable indebtedness. Such default may allow the holders to accelerate the related debt and may result in the acceleration of any other debt to which a cross-acceleration or cross-default provision applies. In addition, an event of default under the secured revolving credit facility would permit the lenders under the secured revolving credit facility to terminate all commitments to extend further credit under that facility.

13

If our operating performance declines, we may need to seek waivers from the holders of our indebtedness to avoid being in default under the instruments governing such indebtedness. If we breach our covenants under our indebtedness, we may not be able to obtain a waiver from the holders of such indebtedness on terms acceptable to us or at all. If this occurs, we would be in default under such indebtedness, the holders of such indebtedness and other lenders could exercise their rights as described above, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.

Furthermore, if we were unable to repay the amounts due and payable under our senior secured revolving credit facility, those lenders could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure that indebtedness. In the event our lenders or holders of senior notes accelerate the repayment of our borrowings, we cannot assure that we would have sufficient assets to repay such indebtedness.

The Company's success is dependent upon retaining key individuals within the organization to execute the Company's strategic plan.

The Company's ability to attract and retain qualified executive management, marketing, merchandising, design, sourcing, operations, and support function staffing is key to the Company's success. If the Company were unable to attract and retain qualified individuals in these areas, an adverse impact on the Company's growth and results of operations may result. Our inability to retain personnel as a result of our recent office consolidation or otherwise could cause us to experience business disruption due to a loss of historical knowledge and a lack of business continuity and may adversely affect our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.

As our business grows in size, complexity, and geography, we expect our information technology infrastructure to be in regular need of enhancement and upgrades. Failure to upgrade as needed or complications encountered in upgrading systems could cause disruptions that may adversely affect our business results or operations. Further, additional investment needed to upgrade and expand our information technology infrastructure could require significant investment of additional resources and capital.

We may not effectively transition our distribution functions to our new Braselton, Georgia facility. If we encounter problems with our distribution facilities, our ability to deliver our products to the market could be adversely affected and expected efficiencies may not be realized.

If we are unsuccessful in timely or effectively transitioning our distribution functions to this facility, we may not achieve planned efficiency improvements and may not have sufficient distribution capacity, which could cause sales to decline and costs to increase and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, our new distribution facilities in Braselton, Georgia are expected to be more complex to operate than our current facilities and we may face difficulty in hiring and training needed personnel. Our ability to meet customer expectations, manage inventory, complete sales, and achieve objectives for operating efficiencies depends on the proper operation of this facility. Disruptions could adversely affect our results of operations.

We may be unsuccessful in expanding into international markets.

We do not have significant experience operating in markets outside of the United States and Canada. Consumer demand, behavior, tastes, and purchasing trends may differ in international markets and, as a result, sales of our products may not be successful or meet our expectations, or the margins on those sales may not be in line with those we currently anticipate. We may encounter differences in business culture and the legal environment that may make working with commercial partners and hiring and retaining an adequate employee base more challenging. We may also face difficulties integrating foreign business operations with our current operations. Any of these challenges could hinder our success in new markets. Our entry into new markets may have upfront investment costs that may not be accompanied by sufficient revenues to achieve typical or expected operational and financial performance and such costs may be greater than expected. We cannot be sure that we can successfully complete any planned expansion or that new international business will be profitable or meet our expectations. If our international expansion plans are unsuccessful, our results could be materially adversely affected.

Our ability to conduct business in international markets may be affected by legal, regulatory, political, and economic risks.

Our ability to conduct business in new and existing international markets is subject to legal, regulatory, political, and economic risks. These include:

14

•

the burdens of complying with foreign laws and regulations, including trade and labor restrictions;

•

compliance with U.S. and other country laws relating to foreign operations, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits U.S. companies from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business;

•

unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; and

•

new tariffs or other barriers in some international markets.

We are also subject to general political and economic risks in connection with our international operations, including:

•

political instability and terrorist attacks;

•

differences in business culture;

•

different laws governing relationships with employees and business partners;

•

changes in diplomatic and trade relationships; and

•

general economic fluctuations in specific countries or markets.

We cannot predict whether quotas, duties, taxes, or other similar restrictions will be imposed by the U.S. or foreign countries upon the import or export of our products in the future, or what effect any of these actions would have, if any, on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Changes in regulatory, geopolitical, social or economic policies, and other factors may have a material adverse effect on our business in the future or may require us to exit a particular market or significantly modify our current business practices.

The Company's future success and growth through expansion of its international operations could be adversely affected by violations of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar world-wide anti-bribery laws.

The United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and similar world-wide anti-bribery laws prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-United States officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. The Company's policies mandate compliance with anti-bribery laws. The Company cannot provide assurance that our internal control policies and procedures, or those of our vendors, will protect from reckless or criminal acts committed by the Company's employees, agents, or vendors. Violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt the business and result in a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

The Company is subject to various claims and pending or threatened lawsuits, and, as a result, may incur substantial costs that adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Company is subject to various claims and pending or threatened lawsuits in the course of its business. In the event we are required or determine to pay amounts in connection with any such lawsuits, such amounts could be significant and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Failure to continue to pay quarterly cash dividends to our shareholders could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.

The Company has initiated a quarterly cash dividend and has declared and paid cash dividends of $0.16 per share to holders of record as of May 31, 2013, September 3, 2013 and November 29, 2013. Provisions in our senior credit facility and the indenture governing our senior notes could have the effect of restricting our ability to pay future cash dividends on, or make future repurchases of, our common stock. Additionally, future declarations of quarterly cash dividends and the establishment of future record and payment dates are at the discretion of theCompany's Board of Directors based on a number of factors, including the Company's future financial performance and other investment priorities. Any reduction or discontinuance by us of the payment of quarterly cash dividends could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

15

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

16

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

We lease space for retail stores, showrooms, distribution centers, and offices, principally in the U.S. and Canada. The majority of our premises are leased.

The following sets forth information with respect to our key properties:

Location

Approx. floor space in square feet

Principal use

Lease expiration date

Braselton, Georgia

1,062,000

Distribution/warehousing

September 2026

Stockbridge, Georgia

505,000

Distribution/warehousing

April 2015

Chino, California

413,000

Distribution/warehousing (1)

July 2015

Phipps Tower, Atlanta, Georgia

275,000

Corporate headquarters (2)

April 2030

Griffin, Georgia

215,000

Finance/information technology/benefits administration/rework

Owned

Cambridge, Ontario

179,000

Distribution/warehousing (3)

March 2020

Cambridge, Ontario

37,000

Canadian corporate offices/distribution/warehousing

June 2021

Fayetteville, Georgia

30,000

Wholesale customer service/information technology

September 2020

(1) This space is leased and operated by a third party service provider.

(2) The amount of space occupied will increase to approximately 292,000 square feet by 2015.

(3) The amount of space occupied will increase to approximately 277,000 square feet in April 2014.

At December 28, 2013, we operated 657 leased retail stores, across the United States. In addition, we operated 102 leased retail stores in Canada. The majority of our lease terms range between five to ten years.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Company is subject to various claims and pending or threatened lawsuits in the normal course of our business. The Company is not currently a party to any legal proceedings that it believes would have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

17

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER

MATTERS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CRI. The last reported sale price per share of our common stock on February 21, 2014 was $67.89. On that date there were approximately 200 holders of record of our common stock.

The following table sets forth for the periods indicated the high and low sales prices per share of common stock as reported by the New York Stock Exchange:

2013

High

Low

First quarter

$

60.84

$

55.55

Second quarter

$

74.07

$

56.84

Third quarter

$

77.33

$

68.02

Fourth quarter

$

76.87

$

68.00

2012

High

Low

First quarter

$

50.21

$

38.66

Second quarter

$

57.27

$

47.95

Third quarter

$

57.62

$

48.67

Fourth quarter

$

56.10

$

49.61

SHARE REPURCHASES

The following table provides information about shares acquired from employees during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 to satisfy the required withholding of taxes in connection with the vesting of restricted stock:

Period

Total number

of shares

purchased

(1)

Average price paid per share

Total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs

Approximate

dollar value of shares that may

yet be

purchased

under the plans

or programs

September 29, 2013 through October 26, 2013

—

$

—

—

$

267,235,052

October 27, 2013 through November 23, 2013

849

$

69.66

—

$

267,175,911

November 24, 2013 through December 28, 2013

—

$

—

—

$

267,175,911

Total

849

$

69.66

—

(1)

All of the shares were surrendered by our employees to satisfy required tax withholding upon the vesting of restricted stock awards.

Repurchase Program

In the second quarter of fiscal 2013, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of shares in an amount up to $300 million, inclusive of amounts remaining under previous authorizations. In the third quarter of 2013, our Board approved an additional $400 million share repurchase authorization. The total remaining capacity under the repurchase authorizations as of December 28, 2013, was approximately $267.2 million. The authorizations have no expiration date.

18

Open Market Purchases

During the fiscal year ended December 28, 2013, we repurchased and retired 816,402 shares with an average share price of $66.31 for an aggregate cost of approximately $54.1 million, in open market transactions.

Under the Uncollared ASR Agreement, we paid $300 million from cash on hand to JPMorgan to repurchase outstanding shares of our common stock. Under the Collared ASR Agreement, we paid $100 million from cash on hand to JPMorgan to repurchase outstanding shares of our common stock. As of December 28, 2013, JPMorgan had delivered approximately 4.6 million shares to us with a fair market value, at trade date, of approximately $328.4 million. On January 27, 2014, JPMorgan delivered approximately one million shares to us, with a fair market value of approximately $70.3 million, as part of the final settlement of the ASR Agreements. All shares received under the ASR Agreements were retired upon receipt.

DIVIDENDS

In the second, third and fourth fiscal quarters of 2013, our Board of Directors authorized quarterly cash dividends of $0.16 per share. The dividends were paid during the fiscal quarter in which they were declared.

Provisions in the Company's secured revolving credit facility and indenture governing its senior notes could have the effect of restricting the Company's ability to pay future cash dividends on or make future repurchases of its common stock.

Future declarations of quarterly dividends and the establishment of future record and payment dates are at the discretion of our Board of Directors based on a number of factors, including our future financial performance and other investment priorities.

RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES

Not applicable.

19

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following selected financial and other data has been derived from our consolidated financial statements for each of the five years presented. The following information should be read in conjunction with Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," which includes the consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or the respective prior fiscal years' Form 10-K. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to facilitate comparability with current year presentation.

For the fiscal years ended

(dollars in thousands, except per share data)

December 28, 2013

December 29, 2012

December 31, 2011

January 1, 2011

January 2, 2010

Operating Data:

Wholesale sales - Carter's

$

1,035,420

$

981,445

$

939,115

$

827,815

$

742,224

Retail sales - Carter's

954,160

818,909

671,590

546,233

489,740

Retail sales - OshKosh

289,311

283,343

280,900

264,887

257,289

Wholesale sales - OshKosh

74,564

79,752

81,888

75,484

72,448

International

285,256

218,285

136,241

34,837

27,976

Total net sales

$

2,638,711

$

2,381,734

$

2,109,734

$

1,749,256

$

1,589,677

Gross profit (a)

$

1,095,379

$

937,948

$

692,278

$

674,717

$

605,171

Operating income (b)

$

264,151

$

261,986

$

187,466

$

243,256

$

195,613

Income before income taxes

$

249,465

$

255,391

$

180,888

$

233,386

$

183,828

Net income

$

160,407

$

161,150

$

114,016

$

146,472

$

115,640

Per Common Share Data:

Basic net income

$

2.78

$

2.73

$

1.96

$

2.50

$

2.03

Diluted net income

$

2.75

$

2.69

$

1.94

$

2.46

$

1.97

Balance Sheet Data:

Working capital (c)

$

701,242

$

713,468

$

629,394

$

532,891

$

505,051

Total assets

$

1,812,484

$

1,630,109

$

1,402,709

$

1,257,182

$

1,208,599

Total debt, including current maturities

$

586,000

$

186,000

$

236,000

$

236,000

$

334,523

Stockholders' equity

$

700,731

$

985,479

$

805,709

$

679,936

$

556,024

Cash Flow Data:

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

209,696

$

278,619

$

81,074

$

85,821

$

188,859

Net cash used in investing activities

220,532

$

83,392

$

106,692

$

39,496

$

29,516

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

$

(84,658

)

$

(46,317

)

$

11,505

$

(133,984

)

$

13,349

Other Data:

Capital expenditures

182,525

$

83,398

$

45,495

$

39,782

$

33,600

Dividend declared and paid per common share

$

0.48

$

—

$

—

$

—

$

—

20

NOTES TO SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

(a)

Gross profit in fiscal 2013 includes a charge of $1.1 million for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2013, related to inventory write-downs associated with the Company's exit from retail operations in Japan. Gross profit in fiscal 2011 includes $6.7 million in additional expenses related to the amortization of the fair value step-up of inventory acquired as a result of the Acquisition.

(b)The following selling, general, & administrative expenses were included in the calculation of operating income:

For the fiscal years ended

(dollars in thousands)

December 28, 2013

December 29, 2012

December 31, 2011

January 1, 2011

January 2, 2010

Amortization of H.W. Carters and Sons tradenames

$

13,588

$

—

$

—

$

—

$

—

Workforce reduction, facility write-down, and closure costs

$

38,214

$

9,490

$

—

—

$

10,771

Investigation expenses

$

—

$

—

$

—

—

$

5,717

Revaluation of contingent consideration

$

2,825

$

3,589

$

2,484

—

$

—

Acquisition-related charges

$

—

$

—

$

3,050

—

$

—

(c)

Represents total current assets less total current liabilities.

21

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following is a discussion of our results of operations and current financial condition. You should read this discussion in conjunction with our consolidated historical financial statements and notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our discussion of our results of operations and financial condition includes various forward-looking statements about our markets, the demand for our products and services, and our future results. We based these statements on assumptions that we consider reasonable. Actual results may differ materially from those suggested by our forward-looking statements for various reasons including those discussed in the “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Those risk factors expressly qualify all subsequent oral and written forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf. Except for any ongoing obligations to disclose material information as required by the federal securities laws, we do not have any intention or obligation to update forward-looking statements after we file this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Fiscal Year

Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday, in December or January nearest the last day of December, resulting in an additional week of results every five or six years. Consistent with this policy, fiscal 2013 ended on December 28, 2013, fiscal 2012 ended on December 29, 2012, and fiscal 2011 ended on December 31, 2011. Each of these fiscal years contained 52 weeks of financial results.

Our Business

We are the largest branded marketer in the United States ("U.S.") of apparel exclusively for babies and young children. We

own two of the most highly recognized and most trusted brand names in the children's apparel industry, Carter's and OshKosh

B'gosh ("OshKosh"). Established in 1865, our Carter's brand is recognized and trusted by consumers for high-quality apparel

for children sizes newborn to seven. Established in 1895, OshKosh is a well-known brand, trusted by consumers for its line of

apparel for children sizes newborn to 12, with a focus on playclothes for toddlers and young children. Given each brand's product category emphasis and brand aesthetic, we believe the brands provide a complementary product offering. We have extensive experience in the young children's apparel market and focus on delivering products that satisfy our consumers' needs. Our strategy is to market high-quality, essential core products at prices that deliver an attractive value proposition for consumers.

In the U.S., our brands compete in the $18.9 billion children's apparel market, for children ages zero to seven. Our Carter's brand was the largest brand with a 13.6% market share and our OshKosh brand had a 2.5% market share. We offer multiple product categories, including baby, sleepwear, playclothes, and related accessories. Our distribution strategy enables us to reach a broad range of consumers across various channels, socio-economic groups, and geographic regions.

We distribute our products through multiple channels of distribution in the U.S. children's apparel market, which, as of December 28, 2013, includes approximately 17,000 wholesale locations (including national department stores, chain and specialty stores, and discount retailers), 657 Company-operated stores and our websites. As of December 28, 2013, we operated 476 Carter's and 181 OshKosh stores in the U.S. As of December 28, 2013, our products were sold via 102 Company-operated stores in Canada in addition to our international wholesale, licensing, and online channels.

Recent Events

In the third quarter of fiscal 2013, our 100% owned subsidiary, The William Carter Company ("TWCC") issued $400 million principal amount of senior notes guaranteed by Carter's, Inc. at an interest rate of 5.25% per annum, maturing on August 15, 2021. The net proceeds from the offering were approximately $394.2 million

In the third quarter of fiscal 2013, weentered into a $300 million fixed dollar uncollared accelerated stock repurchase agreement and a $100 million fixed dollar collared accelerated stock repurchase agreement, each with JPMorgan. Under these agreements, we paid $400 million from cash on hand to JPMorgan to repurchase outstanding shares of the Company's common stock. As of December 28, 2013, JPMorgan had delivered approximately 4.6 million shares to the Company under these agreements. The accelerated stock repurchase agreements were settled on January 27, 2014, resulting in the delivery to the Company of approximately one million shares for a total of 5.6 million shares.

22

In the second quarter of fiscal 2013, we acquired worldwide rights to the Carter's Watch the Wear and H.W. Carter & Sons tradenames. The total cash consideration paid for these assets was approximately $38.0 million.

In the second, third and fourth fiscal quarters of 2013, our Board of Directors authorized quarterly cash dividends of $0.16 per share. The dividends were paid during the fiscal quarter in which they were declared.

In the first quarter of 2013, we assumed control of retail operations in Japan, previously managed by a licensee. In fiscal 2013, our retail operations in Japan generated sales of approximately $15.9 million and an operating loss of $11.3 million, which includes exit costs of approximately $4.1 million. In the fourth quarter of 2013, we decided to exit those operations based on revised forecasts which do not meet our investment objectives.

In connection with the plan to consolidate our Shelton, Connecticut and Atlanta, Georgia offices, as well as certain functions from our other offices, into a new headquarters facility in Atlanta, Georgia, werecorded charges of approximately $33.3 million in fiscal 2013 and $6.4 million in fiscal 2012, primarily related to severance, relocation and recruiting expenses, and accelerated depreciation.

In fiscal 2012, we announced our plans to close our Hogansville, Georgia facility consistent with our strategy to strengthen our distribution capabilities. In conjunction with the plan to close Hogansville, we recorded closing costs of approximately $1.9 million and $3.1 million in 2013 and 2012, respectively. We also opened a new one million square foot multi-channel distribution facility in Braselton, Georgia in fiscal 2012.

In fiscal 2012, we entered into a lease agreement for approximately 275,000 square feet of office space located in The Phipps Tower in Atlanta, Georgia which will serve as our new headquarters.

Segments

The five business segments we use to manage and evaluate our performance are: Carter's wholesale, Carter's retail, OshKosh retail, OshKosh wholesale, and international.

23

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated (i) selected statement of operations data expressed as a percentage of net sales and (ii) the number of retail stores open at the end of each period:

For the fiscal years ended

December 28, 2013

December 29, 2012

December 31, 2011

Net sales

Carter’s Wholesale

39.2

%

41.2

%

44.5

%

Carter’s Retail

36.2

%

34.4

%

31.8

%

Total Carter’s

75.4

%

75.6

%

76.3

%

OshKosh Retail

11.0

%

11.9

%

13.3

%

OshKosh Wholesale

2.8

%

3.3

%

3.9

%

Total OshKosh

13.8

%

15.2

%

17.2

%

International

10.8

%

9.2

%

6.5

%

Consolidated net sales

100.0

%

100.0

%

100.0

%

Cost of goods sold

58.5

%

60.6

%

67.2

%

Gross profit

41.5

%

39.4

%

32.8

%

Selling, general, and administrative expenses

32.9

%

29.9

%

25.7

%

Royalty income

(1.4

)%

(1.6

)%

(1.7

)%

Operating income

10.0

%

11.0

%

8.9

%

Interest expense, net

0.5

%

0.3

%

0.3

%

Foreign currency gain

0.1

%

—

%

—

%

Income before income taxes

9.5

%

10.7

%

8.6

%

Provision for income taxes

3.4

%

4.0

%

3.2

%

Net income

6.1

%

6.8

%

5.4

%

Number of retail stores at end of period:

Carter’s - U.S.

476

413

359

OshKosh - U.S.

181

168

170

International

117

82

65

Total

774

663

594

Note: Results may not be additive due to rounding.

24

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 28, 2013 COMPARED WITH FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 29, 2012

Carter’s wholesale sales increased$54.0 million, or 5.5%, in fiscal 2013 to $1,035.4 million. This growth was primarily driven by a 4.4% increase in units shipped as compared to fiscal 2012.

CARTER’S RETAIL SALES

Carter’s retail sales increased$135.3 million, or 16.5%, in fiscal 2013 to $954.2 million. The increase was driven by incremental sales of $79.1 million generated by new store openings, $54.6 million generated by eCommerce sales, and a comparable store sales increase of $6.8 million, or 1.0%, partially offset by the impact of store closings of $5.3 million. On a comparable store basis, the average transaction value increased 1.1%. Carter's direct-to-consumer comparable sales, defined as the combination of retail store and eCommerce comparable sales, increased 7.7%, comprised of eCommerce comparable sales growth of 49.9% and a comparable retail store comparable sales growth of 1.0%.

Our comparable store sales calculations include sales for all stores that were open during the comparable fiscal period, including remodeled stores, and certain relocated stores. If a store relocates within the same center with no business interruption or material change in square footage, the sales of such store will continue to be included in the comparable store calculation. If a store relocates to another center, or there is a material change in square footage, such store is treated as a new store. Stores that are closed during the period are included in the comparable store sales calculation up to the last full fiscal month of operations. Our comparable eCommerce sales calculations include sales from our websites that were opened during the comparable fiscal period.

During fiscal 2013, we opened 65 Carter's stores and closed two stores. There were a total of 476 Carter’s retail stores as of December 28, 2013. In total, we plan to open approximately 60 and close four Carter’s retail stores during fiscal 2014.

OSHKOSH RETAIL SALES

OshKosh retail sales increased$6.0 million, or 2.1%, in fiscal 2013 to $289.3 million. The increase reflects incremental sales of $13.5 million generated by eCommerce sales and $11.0 million generated by new store openings, partially offset by the impact of store closings of $10.5 million and a comparable store sales decrease of $8.0 million, or 3.4%. OshKosh direct-to-consumer comparable sales increased 2.0%, comprised of eCommerce comparable sales growth of 40.9% and a retail store

25

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

comparable sales decline of 3.4%. On a comparable store basis, the average retail store transaction value remained flat and transactions decreased during fiscal 2013 as compared to fiscal 2012.

During fiscal 2013, we opened 18 OshKosh stores and closed five stores. There were a total of 181 OshKosh retail stores as of December 28, 2013. In total, we plan to open approximately 24 and close four OshKosh retail stores during fiscal 2014.

OSHKOSH WHOLESALE SALES

OshKosh wholesale sales decreased$5.2 million, or 6.5%, in fiscal 2013 to $74.6 million. The decrease in wholesale sales reflects a 12.2% decrease in units shipped and partially offset by a 6.5% increase in average price per unit as compared to fiscal 2012.

INTERNATIONAL SALES

Our international sales include our Canada and Japan retail operations, international eCommerce, and wholesale sales.

International sales increased$67.0 million, or 30.7%, in fiscal 2013 to $285.3 million. Our international retail sales increased $38.6 million, or 28.3%, to $175.0 million, driven by incremental Canadian sales of $19.9 million (primarily from new store openings), sales by our Japanese operations of $15.9 million, and $2.8 million of incremental eCommerce sales. Comparable store sales in Canada decreased $2.2 million or 1.8%. In addition, international wholesale sales increased $28.4 million, or 34.7%, to $110.2 million.

During fiscal 2013, we opened 21 retail stores in Canada and closed one store. There were a total of 102 retail stores in Canada as of December 28, 2013. In fiscal 2014, we plan to open a total of approximately 20 retail stores in Canada with no closures planned.

In the first quarter of 2013, we assumed control of retail operations in Japan, previously managed by a licensee. In fiscal 2013, our retail operations in Japan generated sales of approximately $15.9 million and an operating loss of $11.3 million, which includes exit costs of approximately $4.1 million. In the fourth quarter of 2013, we decided to exit those operations based on revised forecasts which do not meet our investment objectives.

GROSS PROFIT

Our gross profit increased$157.4 million, or 16.8%, to $1,095.4 million in fiscal 2013. Gross margin increased from 39.4% in fiscal 2012 to 41.5% in fiscal 2013 primarily as the result of higher mix of direct-to-consumer sales and lower product costs compared to prior year.

We include distribution costs in selling, general, and administrative expenses. Accordingly, our gross profit may not be comparable to other companies that include such distribution costs in their cost of goods sold.

SELLING, GENERAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

Selling, general, and administrative expenses in fiscal 2013increased$155.3 million, or 21.8%, to $868.5 million. As a percentage of net sales, selling, general, and administrative expenses increased from 29.9% to 32.9% in fiscal 2013.

The increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales reflects:

•

$39.9 million in higher domestic and Canada retail store expenses;

•

$26.9 million in incremental costs associated with the office consolidation;

•

$18.4 million in incremental distribution and freight costs;

•

$18.1 million in expenses associated with the Japan business, including operating costs and costs to exit the operations;

26

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

•

$13.6 million in amortization of the H.W. Carter tradename;

•

$10.3 million in incremental operating expenses associated with the growth of the eCommerce business;

Slightly offsetting these increases were:

•

$12.0 million in lower provisions for performance-based compensation.

ROYALTY INCOME

We license the use of our Carter’s, Just One You, Child of Mine, OshKosh B’gosh, OshKosh, Genuine Kids from OshKosh, and Precious Firsts brand names. Royalty income from these brands in both fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012 was approximately $37.3 million (including $5.5 million and $6.8 million of international royalty income in fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012, respectively). International royalty income in fiscal 2013 declined primarily due to our assumption of a licensee's operations in Japan.

OPERATING INCOME

Operating income increased$2.2 million, or 0.8%, to $264.2 million in fiscal 2013 due to the factors described above.

INTEREST EXPENSE

Interest expense in fiscal 2013increased$6.7 million to $13.4 million, compared to fiscal 2012. Weighted-average borrowings for fiscal 2013 were $338.7 million at an effective interest rate of 3.92%, as compared to weighted-average borrowings for fiscal 2012 of $210.4 million at an effective interest rate of 3.23%. The effective interest rate for fiscal 2013 was higher than fiscal 2012 as a result of the issuance of the senior notes (at an interest rate of 5.25%) in the third quarter of fiscal 2013, partially offset by the impact of the refinancing of the secured revolving credit facility in the third quarter of fiscal 2012.

Our operating results are subject to risk from interest rate fluctuations on our secured revolving credit facility, which carries variable interest rates. As of December 28, 2013, our outstanding variable rate debt aggregated approximately $186.0 million. An increase or decrease of 1% in the applicable rate applied to our weighted-average borrowings would have increased or decreased our fiscal 2013 interest cost by approximately $1.9 million.

Our effective tax rate was 35.7% for fiscal 2013 as compared to 36.9% for fiscal 2012. The decrease in our effective rate was attributable to the expansion of our international operations, which are taxed at slightly lower effective rates, and the absence of non-deductible acquisition costs in 2013.

NET INCOME

Our net income for fiscal 2013decreased$0.7 million, or 0.5%, to $160.4 million as compared to $161.2 million in fiscal 2012.

FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 29, 2012 COMPARED WITH FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2011

CONSOLIDATED NET SALES

In fiscal 2012, consolidated net sales increased $272.0 million, or 12.9%, to $2.4 billion. The growth reflects higher sales across all segments, except OshKosh Wholesale, and the effect of a full year of sales in fiscal 2012 from the acquisition of Bonnie Togs versus six months of sales in the prior year. Consolidated net sales for fiscal 2012 include $46.1 million in off-price channel sales, compared to $79.5 million in fiscal 2011.

27

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

For the fiscal years ended

(dollars in thousands)

December 29, 2012

% ofTotal

December 31, 2011

% ofTotal

Net sales:

Carter’s Wholesale

$

981,445

41.2

%

$

939,115

44.5

%

Carter’s Retail

818,909

34.4

%

671,590

31.8

%

Total Carter’s

$

1,800,354

75.6

%

$

1,610,705

76.3

%

OshKosh Retail

$

283,343

11.9

%

$

280,900

13.3

%

OshKosh Wholesale

79,752

3.3

%

81,888

3.9

%

Total OshKosh

$

363,095

15.2

%

$

362,788

17.2

%

International

218,285

9.2

%

136,241

6.5

%

Total net sales

$

2,381,734

100.0

%

$

2,109,734

100.0

%

CARTER’S WHOLESALE SALES

Carter’s wholesale sales increased $42.3 million, or 4.5%, in fiscal 2012 to $981.4 million. This growth was primarily driven by a 5.2% increase in average price per unit, partially offset by a 0.7% decrease in units shipped as compared to fiscal 2011. The increase in average price per unit resulted from improved price realization across our product offerings and lower levels of off-price channel sales. The decrease in units shipped was primarily due to fewer shipments in the off-price channel.

CARTER’S RETAIL SALES

Carter’s retail sales increased $147.3 million, or 21.9%, in fiscal 2012 to $818.9 million. The increase was driven by incremental sales of $77.3 million generated by new store openings, $54.3 million generated by eCommerce sales, and a comparable store sales increase of $23.5 million, or 3.9%, partially offset by the impact of store closings of $7.8 million. On a comparable store basis, the average transaction value increased 3.6% principally due to improved price realization.

During fiscal 2012, we opened 63 Carter's stores and closed nine stores. There were a total of 413 Carter’s retail stores as of December 29, 2012.

OSHKOSH RETAIL SALES

OshKosh retail sales increased $2.4 million, or 0.9%, in fiscal 2012 to $283.3 million. The increase reflects incremental sales of $15.1 million generated by eCommerce sales and $3.8 million generated by new store openings, partially offset by the impact of store closings of $11.4 million and a comparable store sales decrease of $5.1 million, or 2.0%. On a comparable store basis, the average transaction value increased 4.0% as a result of improved price realization, and the number of transactions decreased 5.8% due to a decline in traffic.

During fiscal 2012, we opened eight OshKosh stores and closed ten stores. There were a total of 168 OshKosh retail stores as of December 29, 2012.

OSHKOSH WHOLESALE SALES

OshKosh wholesale sales decreased $2.1 million, or 2.6%, in fiscal 2012 to $79.8 million. Our wholesale sales experienced an 11.6% decrease in units shipped and a 10.2% increase in average price per unit, primarily due to lower off-price channel sales in fiscal 2012, as compared to fiscal 2011.

INTERNATIONAL SALES

Our international sales include our Canadian retail and wholesale operations, and international wholesale sales.

28

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

International sales increased $82.0 million, or 60.2%, in fiscal 2012 to $218.3 million. Our international retail sales increased $69.5 million to $136.5 million, reflecting a full year of Canadian sales in fiscal 2012 as compared to two quarters in fiscal 2011. In addition, international wholesale sales increased $12.5 million, or 18.1%, to $81.8 million, driven by a full year of Canadian wholesale sales in fiscal 2012 as compared to two quarters in fiscal 2011, along with higher wholesale sales in other countries.

During fiscal 2012, we opened 18 retail stores in Canada and closed one store. There were a total of 82 retail stores in Canada as of December 29, 2012.

We include distribution costs in selling, general, and administrative expenses. Accordingly, our gross profit may not be comparable to other companies that include such distribution costs in their cost of goods sold.

SELLING, GENERAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

Selling, general, and administrative expenses in fiscal 2012 increased $171.1 million, or 31.6%, to $713.2 million. As a percentage of net sales, selling, general, and administrative expenses increased from 25.7% to 29.9% in fiscal 2012.

The increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales reflects:

•

$28.2 million in higher provisions for performance-based compensation;

•

$27.9 million in higher international retail store expenses, reflecting a full year of sales from our Canadian business in fiscal 2012 versus six months of sales in fiscal 2011;

•

$17.2 million in incremental operating expenses associated with the growth of the eCommerce business;

•

$15.6 million in marketing expenses primarily related to branding initiatives; and

•

$9.5 million in expenses related to the facility closure of the Hogansville distribution center and the Shelton office consolidation.

Slightly offsetting these increases were:

•

$3.0 million in professional service fees recorded in fiscal 2011 in connection with the acquisition of Bonnie Togs.

ROYALTY INCOME

We license the use of our Carter’s, Just One You, Child of Mine, OshKosh B’gosh, OshKosh, Genuine Kids from OshKosh, and Precious Firsts brand names. Royalty income from these brands in fiscal 2012 was approximately $37.2 million (including $6.8 million of international royalty income), a decrease of 0.1%, as compared to fiscal 2011. The slight decrease reflects the absence of international royalty income from our former licensee, Bonnie Togs, which was acquired in June 2011, primarily offset by increased sales from other licensees.

OPERATING INCOME

Operating income increased $74.5 million, or 39.8%, to $262.0 million in fiscal 2012 due to the factors described above.

average borrowings for fiscal 2012 were $210.4 million at an effective interest rate of 3.23%, as compared to weighted-average borrowings for fiscal 2011 of $236.0 million at an effective interest rate of 3.25%. The effective interest rate calculation includes the amortization of debt issuance costs.

FOREIGN CURRENCY GAIN

During fiscal 2012, we recorded foreign currency gains of $0.1 million related to the mark-to-market adjustment on foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currency denominated payables.

During fiscal 2011, we recorded foreign currency gains of $0.6 million, as a result of a forward foreign currency exchange contract to reduce our risk from exchange fluctuations on the purchase price of Bonnie Togs and the mark-to-market adjustments on foreign currency exchange contracts and foreign currency denominated payables.

INCOME TAXES

Our effective tax rate was 36.9% for fiscal 2012 as compared to 37.0% for fiscal 2011. The slight decrease in our effective rate is attributable to our Canadian operations which carry a lower overall effective tax rate. For both years, the effective tax rate was favorably affected by the recognition of previously recorded uncertain tax positions.

NET INCOME

Our net income for fiscal 2012 increased $47.1 million, or 41.3%, to $161.2 million as compared to $114.0 million in fiscal 2011.

FINANCIAL CONDITION, CAPITAL RESOURCES, AND LIQUIDITY

Our primary cash needs are working capital and capital expenditures. Substantially all of our cash is held in the U.S. Our primary source of liquidity will continue to be cash and cash equivalents on hand, cash flow from operations, and borrowings available under our secured revolving credit facility, and we expect that these sources will fund our ongoing requirements for the foreseeable future. These sources of liquidity may be affected by events described in our risk factors, as further discussed in Part I, Item 1A of this filing.

Net accounts receivable at December 28, 2013 were $193.6 million compared to $168.0 million at December 29, 2012. The increase of $25.6 million, or 15.2%, as compared to December 29, 2012 reflects growth in the business along with an increase of approximately $17.9 million in other receivables related to tenant improvement allowances for the new headquarters facility.

Net inventories at December 28, 2013 were $417.8 million compared to $349.5 million at December 29, 2012. The increase of $68.2 million, or 19.5%, as compared to December 29, 2012, reflects an increase in inventory levels to support planned sales and store openings, in addition to higher product costs as compared to the prior year.

Net cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 2013 was $209.7 million compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $278.6 million in fiscal 2012. The decrease in operating cash flow primarily reflects changes in net working capital. Net cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 2012 was $278.6 million compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $81.1 million in fiscal 2011. The increase in operating cash flow primarily reflects favorable changes in net working capital and increased earnings.

Our capital expenditures were $182.5 million in fiscal 2013 compared to $83.4 million in fiscal 2012, primarily reflecting expenditures of approximately $55.8 million for our U.S. and international retail store openings and remodelings, $54.0 million for the Braselton, Georgia distribution facility, $35.9 million for the new headquarters facility, and $29.5 million for information technology initiatives. Our capital expenditures were $83.4 million in fiscal 2012 compared to $45.5 million in fiscal 2011, primarily reflecting approximately $50.0 million for U.S. and international retail store openings and remodelings, $13.4 million related to Braselton, and $9.8 million for information technology.

30

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

We plan to invest approximately $100 million in capital expenditures in fiscal 2014, primarily for U.S. and international retail store openings and remodelings, information technology, and further expansion of our distribution capacity at the Braselton, Georgia facility.

SECURED REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITY

On October 15, 2010, we entered into a $375 million ($130 million sub-limit for letters of credit and a swing line sub-limit of $40 million) secured revolving credit facility with Bank of America as sole lead arranger and administrative agent, JP Morgan Chase Bank as syndication agent, and other financial institutions. On December 22, 2011, we amended and restated the secured revolving credit facility to, among other things, provide a U.S. dollar secured revolving facility of $340 million ($130 million sub-limit for letters of credit and a swing line sub-limit of $40 million) and a $35 million multicurrency secured revolving facility ($15 million sub-limit for letters of credit and a swing line sub-limit of $5 million), which is available for borrowings by either TWCC or our Canadian subsidiary, in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars.

On August 31, 2012, we amended and restated the secured revolving credit facility to, among other things, improve interest rates applicable to pricing, extend the maturity of the facility, and allow borrowings in currencies other than U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars subject to the consent of all multicurrency lenders. The aggregate principal amount of the facility remained unchanged at $375 million consisting of a $340 million U.S. dollar secured revolving credit facility and a $35 million multicurrency secured revolving credit facility (although the sub-limit for U.S. dollar letters of credit was increased to $175 million). In connection with the amendment, we recorded approximately $1.9 million in debt issuance costs which, together with the existing unamortized debt issuance costs, will be amortized over the new remaining term of the facility (five years). The term of the secured revolving credit facility expires August 31, 2017.

Pricing Options

The secured revolving credit facility provides for different pricing options based on, among other things, the currency being borrowed and our leverage. Amounts outstanding under the secured revolving credit facility as of December 28, 2013 were accruing interest at a LIBOR rate plus 2.00%.

Covenants

The secured revolving credit facility contains and defines financial covenants, including a lease adjusted leverage ratio (defined as, with certain adjustments, the ratio of our consolidated indebtedness plus six times rent expense to consolidated net income before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and rent expense (“EBITDAR”)) to exceed (x) if such period ends on or before December 31, 2016, 3.75:1.00 and (y) if such period ends after December 31, 2016, 3.50:1.00; and consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio (defined as, with certain adjustments, the ratio of consolidated EBITDAR to consolidated fixed charges (defined as interest plus rent expense)), for any such period to be less than 2.50:1.00. As of December 28, 2013, we are in compliance with our financial debt covenants.

Outstanding Amount

At December 28, 2013, we had approximately $186.0 million in revolver borrowings, exclusive of $9.5 million of outstanding letters of credit, leaving approximately $179.5 million available for future borrowings.

SENIOR NOTES

On August 12, 2013, our 100% owned subsidiary, TWCC issued $400 million principal amount of senior notes at par, bearing interest at a rate of 5.25% per annum, and maturing on August 15, 2021, all of which were outstanding as of December 28, 2013. TWCC received net proceeds from the offering of the senior notes of approximately $394.2 million, after deducting bank fees. Approximately $7.0 million, including both bank fees and other third party expenses, has been capitalized in connection with the issuance and is being amortized over the term of the senior notes.

The senior notes are unsecured and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Carter's, Inc. and certain subsidiaries of TWCC.

At any time prior to August 15, 2017, TWCC may redeem all or part of the senior notes at 100% of the principal amount redeemed plus an applicable premium and accrued and unpaid interest. On and after August 15, 2017, TWCC may redeem all or part of the senior notes at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount of the senior notes to be redeemed) set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest. The redemption price applicable where the redemption occurs during the twelve-month period beginning on August 15 of each of the years indicated is as follows:

31

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

Year

Percentage

2017

102.63%

2018

101.31%

2019 and thereafter

100.00%

In addition, until August 15, 2016, we may, at our option, redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the senior notes at a redemption price equal to 105.25% of the aggregate principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, subject to certain terms, with the proceeds of certain equity offerings.

Upon the occurrence of specific kinds of changes of control, unless a redemption notice with respect to all the outstanding senior notes has previously or concurrently been mailed or delivered, we will be required to make an offer to purchase the senior notes at 101% of their principal amount. In addition, if we or any of our restricted subsidiaries engages in certain asset sales, under certain circumstances we will be required to use the net proceeds to make an offer to purchase the senior notes at 100% of their principal amount.

The indenture governing the senior notes includes a number of covenants, that, among other things and subject to certain exceptions, restrict TWCC's ability and the ability of certain of its subsidiaries to: (a) incur, assume or guarantee additional indebtedness; (b) issue disqualified stock and preferred stock; (c) pay dividends or make distributions or other restricted payments; (d) prepay, redeem or repurchase certain debt; (e) make loans and investments (including joint ventures); (f) incur liens; (g) create restrictions on the payment of dividends or other amounts from restricted subsidiaries that are not guarantors of the notes; (h) sell or otherwise dispose of assets, including capital stock of subsidiaries; (i) consolidate or merge with or into, or sell substantially all of TWCC's assets to, another person; (j) designate subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries; and (k) enter into transactions with affiliates. Additionally, the terms of the notes contain customary affirmative covenants and provide for events of default which, if certain of them occur, would permit the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the then total outstanding senior notes to declare all amounts owning under the notes to be due and payable. Carter's, Inc. is not subject to these covenants.

If TWCC fails to complete a required registered exchange offer by May 9, 2014, we will be required to pay additional interest on the senior notes.

Provisions in the Company's secured revolving credit facility and indenture governing its senior notes could have the effect of restricting the Company's ability to pay future cash dividends on or make future repurchases of its common stock, as further described in the Long-Term Debt note to the consolidated financial statements.

BONNIE TOGS ACQUISITION

On June 30, 2011, we purchased Bonnie Togs for total consideration of up to CAD $95 million, of which USD $61.2 million was paid in cash at closing and the balance to be paid contingent upon achieving certain earnings targets. In fiscal 2013, we paid approximately $14.7 million for achieving interim earnings targets. As of December 28, 2013, a discounted contingent consideration liability of approximately $16.3 million was recorded, based upon the high probability that Bonnie Togs will attain future earnings targets, of which approximately $9.0 million would be paid within a one year window.

FACILITY CLOSURES

In conjunction with the closure of the Hogansville, Georgia distribution facility, we incurred closure-related charges of approximately $1.9 million in fiscal 2013 and the remaining balance in the accrual as of December 28, 2013 is approximately $1.3 million, which is expected to be paid in the first quarter of fiscal 2014.

In connection with the plan to consolidate our Shelton, Connecticut and Atlanta, Georgia offices, as well as certain functions from our other offices, into a new headquarters facility in Atlanta, Georgia, werecorded charges of approximately $33.3 million in fiscal 2013 and $6.4 million in fiscal 2012, primarily related to severance, relocation and recruiting expenses, and accelerated depreciation. We have substantially completed our consolidation efforts and the remaining balance in the accrual as of December 28, 2013 is approximately $6.4 million, principally severance related, and is expected to be paid by the second quarter of fiscal 2014. We expect to incur approximately $5.0 million of additional costs in fiscal 2014.

32

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

In the first quarter of 2013, we assumed control of retail operations in Japan, previously managed by a licensee. In fiscal 2013, our retail operations in Japan generated sales of approximately $15.9 million and an operating loss of $11.3 million, which includes exit costs of approximately $4.1 million. In the fourth quarter of 2013, we decided to exit those operations based on revised forecasts which do not meet our investment objectives, and we expect to incur approximately $6.0 million of additional costs in fiscal 2014.

SHARE REPURCHASES

In the second quarter of fiscal 2013, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of shares in an amount up to $300 million, inclusive of amounts remaining under previous authorizations. In the third quarter of 2013, our Board approved an additional $400 million share repurchase authorization. The total remaining capacity under the repurchase authorizations as of December 28, 2013, was approximately $267.2 million.

Future repurchases may be made in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, with the level and timing of activity being at management's discretion depending on market conditions, share price, other investment priorities, and other factors. The authorizations have no expiration date.

Open Market Purchases

During the fiscal year ended December 28, 2013, we repurchased and retired 816,402 shares with an average share price of $66.31 for an aggregate cost of approximately $54.1 million, in open market transactions.

Under the Uncollared ASR Agreement, we paid $300 million from cash on hand to JPMorgan to repurchase outstanding shares of our common stock. Under the Collared ASR Agreement, we paid $100 million from cash on hand to JPMorgan to repurchase outstanding shares of our common stock. As of December 28, 2013, JPMorgan had delivered approximately 4.6 million shares to us with a fair market value, at trade date, of approximately $328.4 million. On January 27, 2014, JPMorgan delivered approximately one million shares to us, with a fair market value of approximately $70.3 million, as part of the final settlement of the ASR Agreements bringing the total number of shares repurchased to approximately 5.6 million. All shares received under the ASR Agreements were retired upon receipt.

DIVIDENDS

In the second, third and fourth fiscal quarters of 2013, our Board of Directors authorized quarterly cash dividends of $0.16 per share. The dividends were paid during the fiscal quarter in which they were declared. Future declarations of quarterly dividends and the establishment of future record and payment dates are at the discretion of our Board of Directors based on a number of factors, including our future financial performance and other investment priorities.

Provisions in our secured revolving credit facility and indenture governing its senior notes could have the effect of restricting our ability to pay future cash dividends on or make future repurchases of its common stock.

COMMITMENTS

The following table summarizes as of December 28, 2013, the maturity or expiration dates of mandatory contractual obligations- and commitments for the following fiscal years:

33

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

(dollars in thousands)

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Thereafter

Total

Long-term debt

$

—

$

—

$

—

$

186,000

$

—

$

400,000

$

586,000

Interest on debt (a)

25,018

25,018

25,018

23,679

21,000

56,000

175,733

Operating leases

104,517

100,617

91,417

86,007

81,257

302,405

766,220

Total financial obligations

129,535

125,635

116,435

295,686

102,257

758,405

1,527,953

Letters of credit

9,506

—

—

—

—

—

9,506

Total financial obligations and commitments (b) (c)

$

139,041

$

125,635

$

116,435

$

295,686

$

102,257

$

758,405

$

1,537,459

(a) Reflects estimated variable rate interest on obligations outstanding on our secured revolving credit facility and senior notes as of December 28, 2013 using an interest rate of 2.16% (rate in effect at December 28, 2013) and 5.25%, respectively.

(b) The table above excludes our reserves for income taxes, as we are unable to reasonably predict the ultimate amount or timing of settlement.

(c) The table above excludes purchase obligations. Our estimate as of December 28, 2013 for commitments to purchase inventory in the normal course of business, which are cancellable (with or without penalty, depending on the stage of production) and span a period of one year or less is estimated to be $350 - $450 million.

In addition to the total contractual obligations and commitments in the table above, we have post-retirement benefit obligations and contingent consideration liabilities, which are included in other current and other long-term liabilities, as further described in our notes to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements.

LIQUIDITY OUTLOOK

Based on our current outlook, we believe that cash generated from operations and available cash, together with amounts available under our secured revolving credit facility, will be adequate to meet our working capital needs and capital expenditure requirements for the foreseeable future, although no assurance can be given in this regard.

EFFECTS OF INFLATION AND DEFLATION

In recent years, we have experienced increased costs of cotton, labor, fuel, and transportation, and have also had higher costs for foreign sourced products as a result of the devaluation of the U.S. dollar relative to certain foreign currencies. While we raised our selling prices on many of our products over the past two years, we have been unable to fully absorb the cost increases and our profitability has been adversely impacted. In recent years, the Company experienced deflationary pressure on its selling prices, in part driven by intense price competition in the young children's apparel industry. We anticipate increased product costs in 2014 due to higher labor costs for our foreign manufacturers. If future product cost increases are more than anticipated, or if we are unable to offset such cost increases through selling price increases or otherwise, our profitability could be adversely affected. Future deflationary pressures on our selling prices could also adversely affect our profitability.

SEASONALITY

We experience seasonal fluctuations in our sales and profitability due to the timing of certain holidays and key retail shopping periods, which generally has resulted in lower sales and gross profit in the first half of our fiscal year versus the second half of the year. Accordingly, our results of operations during the first half of the year may not be indicative of the results we expect for the full year.

34

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Our significant accounting policies are described in our accompanying audited consolidated financial statements. The following discussion addresses our critical accounting policies and estimates, which are those policies that require management’s most difficult and subjective judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

We recognize wholesale and eCommerce revenue after shipment of products to customers, when title passes, when all risks and rewards of ownership have transferred, the sales price is fixed or determinable, and collectibility is reasonably assured. In certain cases, in which we retain the risk of loss during shipment, revenue recognition does not occur until the goods have reached the specified customer. In the normal course of business, we grant certain accommodations and allowances to our wholesale customers to assist these customers with inventory clearance or promotions. Such amounts are reflected as a reduction of net sales and are recorded based upon agreements with customers, historical trends, and annual forecasts. Retail store revenues are recognized at the point of sale. We reduce revenue for estimated customer returns and deductions. We also maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make payments and other actual and estimated deductions. If the financial condition of our customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, an additional allowance could be required. Past due balances over 90 days are reviewed individually for collectability. Our credit and collections department reviews all other balances regularly. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when we believe it is probable the receivable will not be recovered.

We record cooperative advertising arrangements with major wholesale customers at fair value. Such fair value is determined based upon, among other factors, comparable market analysis for similar advertisements. We have included the fair value of these arrangements as a component of selling, general, and administrative expenses on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations rather than as a reduction of revenue. Amounts determined to be in excess of the fair value of these arrangements are recorded as a reduction of net sales.

INVENTORY

We provide reserves for slow-moving inventory equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated market value based upon assumptions about future demand and market conditions. If actual market conditions are less favorable than we project, additional write-downs may be required.

GOODWILL AND TRADENAME

The carrying values of the goodwill and indefinite lived tradename assets are subject to annual impairment reviews as of the last day of each fiscal year. Impairment reviews may also be triggered by any significant events or changes in circumstances affecting our business. Factors affecting such impairment reviews include the continued market acceptance of our offered products and the development of new products. We use discounted cash flow models for quantitative assessments to determine the fair value of these assets, using assumptions we believe hypothetical marketplace participants would use. For indefinite-lived intangible assets, if the carrying amount exceeds the fair value, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount equal to that excess. For indefinite-lived intangibles, we may utilize a qualitative assessment, as described below, to determine whether the fair value of the indefinite-lived asset is less than its carrying value.

We perform impairment tests of goodwill at the reporting unit level. We may utilize a qualitative assessment to determine if it is "more likely than not" that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If so, it is determined that the two-step goodwill impairment test using quantitative assessments is required to be performed. If not, no further testing is required

35

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

and the relevant qualitative factors supporting the strength in fair value are documented. Qualitative factors may include, but are not limited to: macroeconomic conditions; industry and market considerations; cost factors that may have a negative effect on earnings; overall financial performance; and other relevant entity-specific events.

Under the quantitative assessment, the first step is to compare the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. We use discounted cash flow models to determine the fair value of a reporting unit. The assumptions used in these models are consistent with those we believe hypothetical marketplace participants would use. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the second step of the impairment test must be performed in order to determine the impairment loss, if any. The second step compares the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, an impairment charge is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. The loss recognized cannot exceed the carrying amount of the goodwill.

A deterioration of macroeconomic conditions may not only negatively impact the estimated operating cash flows used in our cash flow models, but may also negatively impact other assumptions used in our analysis, including, but not limited to, the estimated cost of capital and/or discount rates. Additionally, we are required to ensure that assumptions used to determine fair value in our analysis are consistent with the assumptions a hypothetical marketplace participant would use. As a result, the cost of capital and/or discount rates used in our analysis may increase or decrease based on market conditions and trends, regardless of whether our actual cost of capital has changed. Therefore, we may recognize an impairment of an intangible asset or assets even though realized actual cash flows are approximately equal to or greater than our previously forecast amounts.

Based upon our most recent assessment, performed as of December 28, 2013, there was no impairment in the value of goodwill or indefinite-lived tradename assets.

ACCRUED EXPENSES

Accrued expenses for workers’ compensation, incentive compensation, health insurance, 401(k), and other outstanding obligations are assessed based on actual commitments, statistical trends, and/or estimates based on projections and current expectations, and these estimates are updated periodically as additional information becomes available.

LOSS CONTINGENCIES

We record accruals for various contingencies including legal exposures as they arise in the normal course of business. We determine whether to disclose and accrue for loss contingencies based on an assessment of whether the risk of loss is remote, reasonably possible, or probable. Our assessment is developed in consultation with our internal and external counsel and other advisors and is based on an analysis of possible outcomes under various strategies. Loss contingency assumptions involve judgments that are inherently subjective and can involve matters that are in litigation, which, by its nature is unpredictable. We believe that our assessment of the probability of loss contingencies is reasonable, but because of the subjectivity involved and the unpredictable nature of the subject matter at issue, our assessment may prove ultimately to be incorrect, which could materially impact our consolidated financial statements.

ACCOUNTING FOR INCOME TAXES

As part of the process of preparing the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our actual current tax exposure (state, federal, and foreign). We assess our income tax positions and record tax benefits for all years subject to examination based upon management’s evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting dates. We determine whether it is "more likely than not" that a tax position will be sustained upon the examination by the appropriate taxing authorities before any part of the benefit can be recorded in the financial statements. For those income tax positions where it is not “more likely than not” that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit has been recognized in the financial statements. Where applicable, associated interest and penalties are also recognized.

We also assess permanent and temporary differences resulting from differing bases and treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes, such as the carrying value of intangibles, deductibility of expenses, depreciation of property, plant, and equipment, stock-based compensation expense, and valuation of inventories. Temporary differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included within our consolidated balance sheets. We must then assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income. Actual results could differ from this assessment if sufficient taxable income is not generated in future periods. To the extent we determine the need to establish a valuation allowance or

36

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

increase such allowance in a period, we must include an expense within the tax provision in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

FOREIGN CURRENCY

The functional currency of substantially all of our foreign operations is the local currency. Assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars using the current exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date, while revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates for the period. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within stockholders’ equity.

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

We sponsor a defined contribution (401(k)) plan, a frozen defined benefit pension plan and other unfunded post-retirement plans. The defined benefit pension and post-retirement plans require an actuarial valuation to determine plan obligations, and related periodic costs. Plan valuations require economic assumptions, including expected rates of return on plan assets, discount rates to value plan obligations and employee demographic assumptions including mortality rates. The actuarial assumptions used may differ materially from actual results due to changing market and economic conditions. Actual results that differ from the actuarial assumptions are reflected as unrecognized gains and losses. Unrecognized gains and losses that exceed 10% of the greater of the plan’s projected benefit obligations or market value of assets are amortized to earnings over the estimated service life of the remaining plan participants.

Any future obligation under our pension plan not funded from investment returns on plan assets will be funded from cash flows from operations.

The most significant assumption used to determine the Company's projected benefit obligation under its defined benefit plans is the discount rate. See the employee benefit plans footnote to our accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for further details on rates and assumptions.

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS

We account for the cost resulting from stock-based compensation arrangements at grant date fair value, utilizing the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which requires the use of subjective assumptions. These assumptions include the following:

Volatility – This is a measure of the amount by which a stock price has fluctuated or is expected to fluctuate. We use actual monthly historical changes in the market value of our stock covering the expected life of stock options being valued. An increase in the expected volatility will increase compensation expense.

Risk-free interest rate – This is the U.S. Treasury rate as of the grant date having a term equal to the expected term of the stock option. An increase in the risk-free interest rate will increase compensation expense.

Expected term – This is the period of time over which the stock options granted are expected to remain outstanding and is based on historical experience and estimated future exercise behavior. Separate groups of employees that have similar historical exercise behavior are considered separately for valuation purposes. An increase in the expected term will increase compensation expense.

Dividend yield – We estimate a dividend yield based on the current dividend amount as a percentage of our current stock price. An increase in the dividend yield will decrease stock-based compensation expense.

Forfeitures – We estimate forfeitures of stock-based awards based on historical experience and expected future activity.

Changes in the subjective assumptions can materially affect the estimate of fair value of stock-based compensation and consequently, the related amount recognized in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

We account for performance-based awards over the vesting term of the awards that are expected to vest based on whether it is probable that the performance criteria will be achieved. We reassess the probability of vesting at each reporting period for awards with performance criteria and adjust stock-based compensation expense based on its probability assessment.

37

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements contained herein that relate to our future performance, including, without limitation, statements with respect to our anticipated results of operations or level of business for fiscal 2013 or any other future period, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on current expectations only and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated, or projected. These risks are described herein under Item 1A of Part I. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

38

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

CURRENCY AND INTEREST RATE RISKS

In the operation of our business, we have market risk exposures including those related to foreign currency risk and interest rates. These risks and our strategies to manage our exposure to them are discussed below.

We contract for production with third parties primarily in Asia. While these contracts are stated in United States dollars, there can be no assurance that the cost for the future production of our products will not be affected by exchange rate fluctuations between the United States dollar and the local currencies of these contractors. Due to the number of currencies involved, we cannot quantify the potential impact of future currency fluctuations on net income (loss) in future years. To date, such exchange fluctuations have not had a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. Foreign currency translation negatively impacted net sales by approximately $6.8 million in fiscal 2013.

Transactions by our Canadian subsidiary may be denominated in a currency other than the entity’s functional currency, which is the Canadian dollar. Fluctuations in exchange rates, primarily between the United States dollar and the Canadian dollar, may affect our results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. From time to time, we have employed foreign exchange contracts to hedge foreign currency exchange rate risk associated with the procurement of U.S. dollar denominated finished goods destined for the Canadian market. These foreign exchange contracts are marked to market at the end of each reporting period, which could result in earnings volatility. In fiscal 2013, we had no outstanding foreign exchange contracts.

We enter into various purchase order commitments with our suppliers. We can cancel these arrangements, although in some instances, we may be subject to a termination charge reflecting a percentage of work performed prior to cancellation.

In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated financial statements listed in the accompanying index present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Carter's, Inc. and its subsidiaries at December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 28, 2013 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 28, 2013, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Company's management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our integrated audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.